Integrated circuits are made possible by processes that produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for both deposition of desired materials and removal of exposed material. Selectively depositing a film on one surface relative to a different surface is useful for patterning and other applications.
During etch steps to preferentially remove dielectric material, metal surfaces are protected with an etch stop layer. Further oxidation of the metal surfaces is to be minimized. An exemplary etch stop layer is aluminum oxide (AlOx). Previous processes rely on physical vapor deposition (PVD) of AlOx.
Node sizes continue to decrease, e.g., from 10 nm to 5-7 nm.
There is a continuing need for methods that efficiently and effectively deposit AlOx as etch layers as node sizes decrease.